A problem common to many electrical devices is that they can be dangerous if left energized and unattended for extended periods after their use is finished. Attempts have been made to provide a timed outlet through which such a device is energized and de-energized, such as through the plug-in wall timer of U.S. Pat. No. 3,925,629 and many similar alternatives thereto, but such timers have proven to be replete with burdens and complexities far beyond those required to simply turn an appliance off after its use has ended.
Such timers as that of U.S. Pat. No. 3,925,629, including similar mechanically-driven versions and the digital counterparts thereto, are first plugged into an energized wall outlet, then programmed to reflect the correct current time of day, and then programmed with a daily turn-on time, and then programmed with a daily turn-off time. If the current time happens to be between the programmed turn-on and turn-off times, then the user often needs to wait until after the desired turn-off time to program the timer. Once the timer is properly programmed, its outlet will become energized every day from that same turn-on time to that same turn-off time. Some digital “seven day” counterparts allow for programming of different turn-on and turn-off times for weekend days, but those require additional programming even if those turn-on and turn-off times are the same as on the week days, and those require additional programming of the current day of the week.
If the wall outlet becomes de-energized at any time, such as during a power interruption, the programs so laboriously entered into these prior art timers are either lost completely (in the digital versions) or are at least delayed (in the mechanical versions) by the amount of time that power was lost. And all of this complex programming and opportunity for malfunction is suffered simply to ensure that a dangerous appliance is de-energized after use in case the operator forgets to turn the device off directly. Users rarely care what time of the day or day of the week this occurs, yet need to suffer through all this programming anyway.
Users oftentimes spend the day at work worrying that they may have left their coffee maker on at home, or left their pressing iron or hair curling iron on. Such anxiety has also surely forced many commuters to turn around for home after getting almost to work to be sure they are not going to come home to a house fire. While more expensive models of many “dangerous” appliances, like coffee makers, pressing irons, and hair curlers, are equipped with built-in shut-off timers, many models are not, especially including older devices still in use. And even appliances which are not dangerous when left operating, like TVs and lights, can waste large amounts of expensive power if left operating unattended at home through the workday.
Accordingly, disadvantages and flaws common to prior art appliance shut-off timers lie in their failure to provide simple, instant, and reliable selection of an operation turn-off point at which the appliance will become de-energized independent of the actual time of the day or day of the week. Further failures and disadvantages lie in the disproportionate degree of programming complexity in such timers compared to that actually deserved and required. Further failures and disadvantages lie in the disproportionate degree of functional complexity and cost in such timers compared to that actually deserved and required. Further failures and disadvantages lie in the disproportionate degree of user effort required by such timers compared to that actually deserved and required. Further disadvantages and flaws will be readily appreciated by those familiar with the art.
There exists a need to overcome all of these disadvantages and flaws and such is an object of the present invention. There exists a need for a plug-in wall timer that is simple to use, reliable, plugs into any standard AC wall outlet, receives any electrical device with a standard AC plug, requires no programming, and operates independently of the current time of the day or day of the week, and such are all objects of the invention. Further needs and objects exist which are addressed by the present invention, as may become apparent by the included disclosure of an exemplary embodiment thereof.